Gorleben salt dome

On July 1, 1975, the KEWA proposed three sites in Lower Saxony for further investigation: the salt domes Lutterloh, Lichtenhorst and Wahn.

In February 1977 the Lower Saxony cabinet designated finally the Gorleben salt dome as a single location for the repository and waste disposal center.

The ultimate decision for Gorleben according to the former Lower Saxony Prime Minister Ernst Albrecht was mainly for structural reasons for the economic development of the zone.

[3] On hindsight it became clear that the original and methodologically correct approach, to investigate three potentially suitable salt domes in parallel and a comparative assessment of the results were abandoned by the choice for Gorleben.

It says (PTB 1983): "An initial assessment of the capping mass in terms of its barrier function for potential contaminated ground water shows that the occurring clay sediments in the central areas of the salt stock Gorleben lack the indication that it can function as a permanent barrier to prevent contamination of the biosphere.

[5]" This assessment still applies today and is supplemented by other negative site characteristics, such as anticipatory selective subrosion and the short time that is needed for the groundwater from the salt dome to reach the biosphere.

The prototype for final storage to clarify conceptual and safety issues Schacht Asse II came in the news in 2008[7][8] about brine contaminated with radioactive caesium-137, plutonium and strontium.